Posted on 08/28/2004 7:20:10 PM PDT by plushaye
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturday described John Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam as more heroic than his own service in the Air National Guard, saying his Democratic rival had been "in harm's way."
But the president told NBC's "Today" show that both sides should drop the debate over their wartime service, saying, "I think that we ought to move beyond the past. ... The real question is who best to lead us forward."
Asked if he believed that he and Kerry "served on the same level of heroism," Bush replied, "No, I don't. I think him going to Vietnam was more heroic than my flying fighter jets. He was in harm's way and I wasn't."
Excerpts of the interview, conducted on Saturday for broadcast on Monday, were released by NBC.
The president continued to defend his own service in the Air National Guard, saying, "On the other hand, I served my country. Had my unit been called up, I would have gone."
Kerry's war record in Vietnam has dominated the 2004 presidential campaign in recent weeks, after advertisements by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accused him of lying about the events that led to his decoration for bravery.
The White House on Thursday said it would file a lawsuit to try to force the Federal Election Commission to crack down on the ads. Bush says he does not believe Kerry lied about his record, but he has refused to condemn the ads directly.
Kerry accuses the Bush campaign of colluding with the Swift Boat Veterans on the ads, a charge the White House has denied. But its case was hurt this past week when a top lawyer for the Bush campaign, Benjamin Ginsberg, resigned after disclosing he was providing legal advice to the veteran's group.
After Ginsburg's resignation, 50 percent of Americans said they believed the Bush campaign was behind the Swift Boat Veterans ads, according to a survey by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Pollster Adam Clymer said Ginsburg's resignation heightened the belief that the Bush campaign had supported the ads, but the controversy could fade from public view when the Republican National Convention begins next week.
Federal election rules bar organizations that take unrestricted donations from coordinating their activities with campaigns or political parties.
The issue has also caused tension with Republican Sen. John McCain, another Vietnam veteran and influential lawmaker who has urged Bush to condemn the ads and get them halted.
McCain is backing Bush for the White House, but the Arizona senator has defended his friend Kerry and threatened to raise the issue with Bush when they campaign in Iowa next week.
ann coulter on geraldo FNC talking about the swiftvets now.
up against susan estrich. ugh.
ROTFLMAO!!!!
Man, this Bush really knows how to twist the knife!
I think the scumbag Democrats' heads are about ready to explode.
Go, Dubya!
estrich calling Bush a draft dodger - but of course, its not a negative attack.
I agree with the poster--this is a brilliant stroke on Bush's part. It keeps the controversy in the news while making Bush look like by far the bigger man, yet still giving him an opportunity to defend his service in the TXANG.
That's MISunderestimate, sir.
I think he's doing the right thing and he can't be faulted for doing the right thing.
Wesley Clark jumped the shark the second he attacked Kerry for only being a lieutenant, while HE was a general.
Clark and Kerry are doing the same thing to Bush. They risk being seen as craven bullies while Bush comes across as gracious and fair.
What Bush is doing is straight out of Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People. The best way to diffuse someone attacking you is to agree with them. It's also the best way to drive them stark raving insane.
Look for a Howard Dean moment coming from Kerry sometime in the next few weeks. The man is going to crack.
And if he said "Islam is a religion of blood thirsty killers", what would all the Islamic nations have done?
Get a grip!
This is straight out of "Clear and Present Danger" the movie. Remember when they asked the acting President about his relationship with the drug-running guy.
It wasn't we were just friends, it was we were "life-long friends".
You give the opposition no where to go but to say you haven't said enough or done exactly what they want.
GW continues to run little Samba circles around Kerry the tiger.
"Bush is the smartest guy around...and the Dems continue to underestimate him."
SShhh....don't let them catch on ...
Bush is saying Kerry was more heroic, while the hero is now begging Bush to " Make It Stop! "
Kerry has 4 Kings, Bush has 4 Aces. Bush's bet: Check.....
That's my George. Keeps his eye on the ball, undistracted by all the sniping. Very different from Lt Junior Grade Kerry.
Found this quote about the current President by the former President!
“He’s got this little shtick, you know,” former President Clinton says. “Because he’s not a conventional political intellectual, he set it up so he gets consistently underestimated.”
This quote is from a fairly decent article currently on MSNBC at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5762240/
Article is called: 43rd president is 'gut player'
who eschews personal change
I am beginning to think that GWB doesn't want to win this election, he wants to dump it all on the demos and go home.
At first read, I would have the same response.
However, Bush knows what he is doing. Read "A Matter of Character" by Ronald Kessler, who by the way voted for Bore.
Kerry and his team of misfits are banging their heads against the cement wall. How the hell could Bush have said that about me?? Kerry had all this fodder to attack W with but now he can't.
Kill the opponent with love and kindness when he is wounded. Yes, the move of this pawn by Bush is exactly right.
Oh my. Bush jerked the rug right out from under Kerry. Brilliant!
I loved the "I was just a fighter pilot", but Kerry was in harms way.
And by the way, Brutus was an honorable man. Teehee.
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